The Beauty of Plein Air Painting

 It’s early May and the warm temperatures, sunny days and frequent rainy spells, has brought on the colours of spring in breath-takingly short order. It’s as if the road travelled has changed, unrecognizably, over night; the path has come alive with sounds of song birds.


Despite all the negative news we read and hear about, we can still rejoice at Nature fulfilling our expectations once again. But how can we express these uplifting feelings in our paintings? Any photos I take never seem to capture the spontaneous rapture I feel when surrounded by nature’s energy and pulsing saturated colour.


My radar kicks in and I automatically begin to see possibilities for a painting. I tell myself to stop for a moment, take some time to listen to the sounds and observe the transient sunlight moving through the trees. We are in Blakeney Park today, near Almonte, where the mighty Mississippi River flows over rocks and cliffs and forms small waterways through the forest. The winding paths cross over several foot bridges. I found one colourful bridge that seemed to blend in with the new growth energy, yet placidly leads us over a gentle stream.


When I had a plan, I began to paint with vigour. The one-hour 11 x 14 sketch was rough but it had the feeling. In the studio it became my source for a 24x24 painting. No photo required.


Plein Air Painting is a bit of a hit-or-miss thing. If I miss the mark of what I experience out there – there is always another day and another canvass. And when I get it right my excitement is palpable.


The Manotick Art Association Plein Air adventures For MAA members are starting on Thursday, May 23 at Dickinson Square in Manotick at 9:30 am.

11x14 Sketch                                                       Blakeney Bridge 24x24